Risk in Play

'Children need and want to take risks when they play. Play provision aims to respond to these needs and wishes by offering children stimulating, challenging environments for exploring and developing their abilities.' - Play England 2008, endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive.

Some activities that happen at the club will have an element of risk to them. We carry out formal and on-the-spot risk assessments to manage the risk within the club and look at the benefits to the child of a particular activity.

Class Of Their Own - Play Framework

Please click here to download a copy of Our Play Framework, this include the sixteen play types and the playwork principles.

Behaviour Policy

Our aim is for children to behave appropriately when they are with us, when a child displays challenging behaviour it will be dealt with by the team following the conflict resolution model. We have found this model to be very beneficial and has helped children to resolve their own conflict issues which is a good life skill.

Please click here to download a copy of our Behaviour Policy.

What is Play?

Play is not merely a way of passing time, a leisure activity, as many people see it - it is the way in which children learn about life.

Play is very hard to define but easy to recognise. Anyone who has played in their life will recognise it when they see it, but wouldn't necessarily be able to put it into words. The most important thing is that play is freely chosen. The children are engaged in the activity because they want to be and they are directing their own behaviour. Adults may encourage children to play, but no-one can make them do it.

The benefits of playing?

Every time a child plays they are discovering something new. Play is crucial to a child, it is through play alongside education that children will develop to their full potential – socially, physically, intellectually, creatively, culturally and emotionally. Play allows children to learn through first hand experience, by doing so they gain understanding.

Through play children learn what no one else can teach them

In this Club we Play!

Sometimes when playing I play on my own
Sometimes I play with one friend
Sometimes I play with a large group of friends
Sometimes with friends not yet made
Sometimes I don't want others to join in
Sometimes I do, but they don't!

Sometimes when I play I am happy,
Sometimes I am sad
Sometimes I am as loud as a lion
Sometimes I am as quiet as a mouse
Sometimes I laugh out loud
Sometimes I just giggle inside

Sometimes I create a real work of art
Sometimes I make blobs with the clay
Sometimes I love to get messy
Sometimes I just want to be clean
Sometimes I want to score all the goals
Sometimes I just couldn't care

Sometimes I am the star of the show
Sometimes I just want to watch
Sometimes I like to play in my den
Sometimes I'm a pirate with my own Isle
Sometimes I wish to be someone else
But most of all I am just happy to be ME!